Let me take you on a journey through your family’s heritage, the Troups, whose roots stretch across the north coast of Banffshire. The lands of Troup mark the origin of your family, with another branch flourishing in the south west, as attested by a charter from 1370 mentioning John of a ‘Trowpe’ in Ayrshire. Your ancestors have left their footprints on history.

Dating back to 1296, Hamund de Troup of Lanarkshire pledged allegiance to Edward I of England on the Ragman Roll, his seal bearing a hawk with a crescent and star, distinguishing the southern Troups from their northern counterparts. The arms of the northern Troups bear a canting symbol, a ‘trippant deer,’ a playful nod to the family name.

The Troup presence was felt strongly in Banffshire and Aberdeen. Notable figures emerged, such as Hamelin de Troupe, a prebendary of Aberdeen Cathedral in 1332. William de Troup’s grant of land in the Mearns in 1357 added to the family’s legacy. The main lineage came to an end with an heiress, her union linking the family to the influential Keith Earls Marischal. The castle of Troup then transitioned to the Keiths, only to eventually find its way to the Garden family, who reshaped the landscape with a new house and the excavation of the old castle’s remains, a window into history.

The Troups of Dunbennan bore the undifferenced arms of the family, tracing their ancestry back to John Troup of Huntly in the eighteenth century. Among these ranks emerged Francis Troup, an accomplished architect and engineer. Sir Charles Edward Troup, born in Huntly, Aberdeenshire in 1867, rose to prominence as a senior British civil servant, earning esteemed honors for his contributions to civil government.

Among your family’s accomplishments, George William Troup, hailing from Stonehaven, played a significant role in the publishing world, becoming the editor and printer of Scotland’s first daily newspaper, the North British Daily Mail, in 1847. Religious history is also adorned with the Troup name, embodied by John ‘Jock’ Troup, a notable Presbyterian evangelist whose passionate preaching left an indelible mark on inter-war Glasgow’s urban culture. His dedication and fervor were palpable, and his legacy lives on, having passed away in the pulpit in 1954.

Your family, the Troups, has woven a rich tapestry of accomplishments and contributions, leaving an enduring mark on history. The journey of your ancestors is a testament to their resilience, creativity, and dedication to making a positive impact on the world.